I wasn't exactly sure whether I should post this under Software, Games, or Hardware, but I did a few searches and glanced through the FAQs on various sites and forums, but couldn't find other information.

I recently reformatted my Dell Inspiron 1000 notebook due to slowdowns and just the fact that it was loaded with malware and such. After the fresh install, I backed up only necessary files on my external which I moved back onto the computer, and made sure everything was running smoothly. It truly was running much better, however, I just got back into trying to play some games. While previously my games ran fine,with lowered graphics, unless they were simpler games (Starcraft, Ultima Online, Diablo II) which ran flawlessly even when my computer was at its worst, they run terribly now. I can't even run the simpler ones that I just listed WITHOUT it taking up every ounce of my system resources (the CPU peaks at 99%, lowers down slowly to the 70% range, and then continues to fluctuate back and forth between the two.) I've done virus scans, but they come out fine, and I've done spyware checks with various programs, and they've been clear. When I'm not running these games, everything works perfectly fine, but once I load it up (or even streaming videos, I've found), it just hogs all my system resources. I also have problems with Firefox and Gaim (AOL/MSN/etc client) that over time, they eventually hog all my resources, too.

What could possibly be the case, here? I've allocated more RAM off my limited hard drive space already, and I've installed all up-to-date drivers, constantly checked my computer for viruses and spyware, and have kept it clear and relatively spacious in terms of hard drive space available. I simply can't understand why it would run perfectly fine before, yet now I can't even watch streaming videos or play simple games.



Computer Specs:
Windows XP Home; 2.2GHz Mobile Celeron; 512MB DDR SDRAM 333MHz; SiS M650 64MB (shared); Hitachi Travelstar 40GNX 40GB 5,400rpm (These specs were copied and pasted off a review site, and all of it seems proper, except I only have 30GB on my hard drive.)



I realize the computer is, for lack of a better term, "trash", but it STILL used to run these games and software with no problems. How could a reformat actually worsen my computers performance? This is the reason I refuse to work with them. They seem downright moody.

Any help would be appreciated... I've given up hope, and finally decided it was about time to seek more promising help than myself and my more computer savvy friends.

Thanks in advance!Update Windows, see if that helps.
Think - were there any changes before you reformatted, like changes that would have increased performance?
Defrag your HDD too.
What antivirus and antispyware do you have?I currently have to update just the most recent one that came out today. I just got the little box in the corner a few minutes ago.

I can't remember any changes before I reformatted that may have increased performance. I even have more hard drive space allocated to helping the memory out, since it's minimal at best.

I currently have McAfee *and* AVG for antivirus software, and Ad-Aware and SpyBot for spyware/malware, and CleanUp to get rid of all the extra nonsense my computer doesn't need.

I've also used some online virus scan my friend suggested, but it also came out with nothing. I really can't imagine that anything is wrong with my computer, but it's just running terribly, and I can't buy a new one quite yet.

Also, my friend proposed that it may be my network card that could be causing the problems, since most of the problems I have include the internet (streaming videos, starcraft play online, diablo II lag online, and Ultima Online, which obviously only plays online), though I've also found that when playing single player in most of them, they still lag and hog my resources.

I'll update my windows now, and I'll defrag as soon as possible. May it have something to do with video drivers or no? That'd be my personal guess, but I'm not too computer savvy.Pretty sure you problem is the two AV programs.
If I were you I'd uninstall McAfee, AVG is better by far.
Could be video drivers - uninstall McAfee, then try updating the video drivers.
Try updating all the drivers you can in fact, the network card driver can cause this sort of thing.
Does it still lag badly in safe mode?I've uninstalled McAfee and updated all the drivers I could. Not one improvement. I don't even have anything running outside of the System stuff and mandatory windows things than I cannot close in the processes section of the task manager.

I simply don't know what to do anymore. How could a reformat worsen a computers performance?

The last thing I can do that you listed is to defrag my hard drive, which I will begin now... if that doesn't work is there any hope for me?You mentioned limited space...this will affect a machine's performance as well. How much free space is on that HDD ? ?Quote

I've allocated more RAM off my limited hard drive space already

Virtual memory... you can allocate hard drive space to serve as memory, I guess. I was informed to do this from a friend.

I have a little more than 4gb of space, which I could improve if I chose to, but previously I had 2-3 and my system worked perfectly fine (prior to the reformat). The hard drive only allows 27.9gb of useable space, which is quickly filled up with programs and games.

I had lost my Dell CDs when I chose to reformat, and since my computer was no longer under warrenty, they only sent me the Windows XP CD, so my drivers I installed I found on the internet off of the manufacurers sites and such.